1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge for a multicomponent mass and having a housing formed as a hollow profile and a multi-chamber pouch arranged in the housing and having a plurality of chambers separated from each other in a longitudinal direction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Multicomponent masses include a main component and at least one additional component, which react with each other and which are mixed with each other shortly before the application of a multicomponent mass. In the constructional industry, e.g., multicomponent mortar masses, which are often packed in multi-chamber pouches in form of hose or foil bags, are supplied to the user as cartridges. E.g., German Publication DE 39 04 639 A1 discloses multi-chamber hose packs formed of a foil material and having a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber separated from each other in a longitudinal direction.
Using suitable squeezing-out devices, the multicomponent mass is mixed with a mixing member to a ready-to-use mass and is squeezed out. Maintaining of the mixing ratios during discharging of the multi-chamber pouch is essential for the suitability of the mass for its intended use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,510 discloses a cartridge for a multicomponent motar mass having a housing, which is formed as a hollow cylinder, and a multi-chamber pouch which is arranged in the housing and the chambers of which are separated from each other in a longitudinal direction. At the discharge end of the housing, a multi-part head is provided. The hose pouch is fixed on the free end of the head. The larger chamber, e.g., the main chamber, has a direct outlet in the discharge opening of the cartridge. The second chamber, e.g., the auxiliary chamber is arranged on a separate section of the head and has a channel section that forms part of the discharge opening and that throttles the mass from the auxiliary chamber. The drawback of the known cartridge consists in that the manufacturing of the head is very complicated and expensive.
With cartridges, which are kept for a long time in a partially discharged condition or at a high temperature, liquid components of one of the mortar components, e.g., rubber, leak out and can migrate between the multi-chamber pouch and the inner profile or the inner wall of the cartridge housing. This infiltration can cause a reduction of the friction forces between the foil material and the inner wall of the housing, so that during the discharge process, the auxiliary chamber folds or is reduced in size. This results in a significant change of the mixing ratios, and a proper hardening of the mixed mass and thereby, obtaining of the desired load values cannot be insured.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge having a housing and a multi-component pouch arranged in the housing and with which, folding or reduction in size of the chambers during discharge process is prevented even after storage of the partially emptied cartridge or after storage in a non-opened condition at a high temperature.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cartridge described immediately above and which can be used with conventional squeezing-out devices.